Issue #823
Scoring his dreams
GUILFORD-Upon listening to Roger Clark Miller's new album, Curiosity for Solo Electric Guitar Ensemble one could be forgiven for forgetting the "solo" in the title.
Surely, you might think, this music is coming from a group of musicians. A guitar orchestra, carrying forth the tradition of avant-garde composer Glenn Branca's works? A contemporary continuation of Rhys Chatham's 1977 piece "Guitar Trio"?...
VJC Big Band, with Carmen Bradford, will perform at Retreat Farm
BRATTLEBORO-The Vermont Jazz Center (VJC) Big Band with vocalist Carmen Bradford takes the stage at Retreat Farm on Saturday, July 19, as the 2025 Brattleboro Music Center's Music Under the Stars series continues. Bradford, a "third-generation vocalist and five-time Grammy Award nominee, ascended to jazz royalty through pedigree, talent,
Around the Towns
'Lost Nation' screening in Marlboro MARLBORO - For five decades, Jay Craven has written, produced, and directed character-driven films rooted in Vermont and New England, including five films based on the works of Howard Frank Mosher. His latest film, Lost Nation, which digs into the parallel stories of Ethan...
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Deerfield Valley News becomes sister newspaper to The Commons
BRATTLEBORO-Vermont Independent Media (VIM), publisher of The Commons, has purchased The Deerfield Valley News, a loved and respected weekly that has been serving the Deerfield Valley community for almost six decades. VIM becomes the fifth entity to steward the publication, which announced the sale to its readers in its July 10 edition and on its website. The weekly, founded in 1966, serves small towns in the western region of Windham County. In additional to Wilmington, where The Deerfield Valley News...
Haley Isadora will perform at Thrush Hill Stage
MARLBORO-Haley Isadora is a singer and composer whose music explores the meeting point between jazz and Brazilian popular music. Originally from Massachusetts, she began singing professionally in Brazil where she lived between 2012 and 2018. After moving back to the States, she formed a duo with Boston-based pianist Molly Flannery in 2018. Fusing jazz and Brazilian standards with Joni Mitchell, Laura Nyro, and original compositions, they produced their album Undercurrents in 2021. 2021 was also the year Isadora completed a...
Milestones
College news • Dillon Glazer of West Wardsboro recently graduated from Plymouth (N.H.) State University with a B.S. in business administration. • Alex Shriver of Brattleboro recently graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. in computer science from Tufts University in Medford, Massachustts. • Emeline Stewart of Wilmington recently graduated from Fairfield (Conn.) University. School news • Connor Griffus of Vernon, a member of the Vernon Volunteer Fire Department, recently graduated from the Vermont Fire Cadet Academy in Pittsford. Obituaries...
Armo, JMMR headline Bandwagon Summer Series on July 19
PUTNEY-Next Stage Arts presents a double bill with Armo and JMMR (Jordan McLean's Musical Resistance) as part of the Bandwagon Summer Series on Saturday, July 19, at 6 p.m. at Putney Inn Field, 57 Putney Landing Rd. Armo is led by longtime collaborators from the Brooklyn-based Afrobeat band Antibalas. The ensemble includes a lineup of Jordan McLean (trumpet/percussion), Marcus Farrar (vocals/percussion), Nikhil P. Yerawadekar (guitar/keys), Kevin Raczka (drums), Justin Kimmel (bass), and Dave "Smoota" Smith (trombone/keys). Their performances "celebrate and...
Benefit show for ACLU honors legacy of Woody Guthrie
WILLIAMSVILLE-On Thursday, July 24, Elena Skye and Boo Reiners of the New Jersey–based Demolition String Band will host "Woody Guthrie: A Song Celebration," a night of music honoring the folk troubadour. This event will benefit the Vermont chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and will take place at Williamsville Hall. The evening will feature a diverse lineup of singers and musicians performing songs by Woody Guthrie, including special guest Syd Straw (with Don Piper), as well as Demolition...
New initiative brings vibrant events to Flat Street for youth in Brattleboro
BRATTLEBORO-On Saturday, July 19, 5 to 9 p.m., the Preston Lot on Flat Street will be transformed into Teen Street in what organizers say will be "a mecca of art, sports, food, and entertainment. Think First Friday, but designed exclusively with youth in mind." Downtown Brattleboro Alliance, in partnership with The Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro, New England Youth Theatre, The Latchis Hotel and Theatre, and the Brattleboro Police Department are inviting teens to enjoy food trucks and live...
July 17 march honors legacy of civil right leader John Lewis
BRATTLEBORO-The Good Trouble Street Choir, The People's Resistance Marching Band and Indivisible Brattleboro say they are planning to combine forces once again and make some "Good Trouble" on Thursday, July 17, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. "July 17 is the anniversary of the death of John Lewis, who famously called his civil rights work 'good trouble,'" organizers wrote in a news release. "He was a fearless advocate, facing police violence, being badly beaten and jailed, yet never giving up. He...
Yellow Barn’s second week features new compositions, violin masterclass
PUTNEY-Yellow Barn's 56th summer season continues Thursday through Saturday, July 17–19, with three performances and violist Kim Kashkashian's annual masterclass in the Big Barn. Thursday, July 17, brings the premiere performance of young composer Francisco Lucena Pais's work for soprano, strings, winds, and percussion. Led by soprano Lucy Shelton, and violinist Dale Barltrop of the Australian String Quartet, Pais's work expresses the sounds and Fado melodies indicative of his native Portugal. Pais is in residence this week, working with the...
Marlboro Music begins its 74th season on July 19
MARLBORO-Under the artistic direction of Mitsuko Uchida and Jonathan Biss, Marlboro Music's 74th summer season opens on Saturday, July 19 (8 p.m.), and Sunday, July 20 (2:30 p.m.) with the first two concerts of the season and free, open rehearsals throughout the week in Persons Auditorium, 2472 South Rd. Weekend performances and rehearsals continue for five weeks, through Sunday, Aug. 17. Marlboro Music has, for more than seven decades, attracted concert artists and aspiring musical leaders from around the world...
Window Dressers offers free window inserts for area households
It may be hot now, but winter will be here before you know it. For those who have struggled with rising energy costs trying to heat a drafty home, Window Dressers, a Maine-based nonprofit, may be able to help. For a limited time, the nonprofit is offering custom-made window inserts at no cost to eligible households in Windham County to help them stay warm and reduce their heating bills. Window Dressers Executive Director Jessica Williams said "They're easy to install,
The height of hypocrisy
Elayne Clift (elayne-clift.com) has written this column about women, politics, and social issues for almost 20 years. BRATTLEBORO-Remember the political organization some years ago created by Republicans who called themselves the Moral Majority while critics' responded that they were neither? Or the Democratic cri de coeur that Republicans cared only about children from conception to birth? Well, the time has come to recall those responses. It's clear that the Trump administration is embracing a pro-natalist position taken straight out of...
On newspapers, community, and trust
BRATTLEBORO-Ask any journalist: It is almost impossible to get a good photo of documents being signed. Oh, you can play with camera angles and aperture settings and the like, but you're never going to get a satisfying image. Nothing you do, no matter how accomplished a photographer you might be, will give you an image that actually tells the story. The moment is an inflection point. What happens before that moment, and what happens after - those are the stories.
Putney board will reconsider ordinance for billing EMS calls
PUTNEY-What began as a quiet public notice and a series of poorly attended public meetings about a new ordinance to charge residents and visitors for fire and emergency services could end with the Selectboard reversing the decision. Although the board has adopted the new ordinance, which gives it the authority to bill for emergency services, including fire department calls, Town Manager Karen Astley confirmed that the topic is on the agenda for the Wednesday, July 23 Selectboard meeting, and believes...
Legislative session marked by compromise, shifting priorities
Much has been written about the effort expended on changing the way Vermont's education is provided. So what else of interest happened this session? Windham County's lawmakers, all Democrats except for one independent, passed laws that may help prevent children from becoming addicted to the internet. They discussed bills that curb the cost of health insurance and also ones that protect affordable meals and farmers markets. They discussed how to prevent violence in hospitals. They passed a bill that prevented...
Brattleboro Little Leaguers win district title
-The Brattleboro Little League 12U All-Stars remain undefeated as they won the District 2 title with a sweep of Rutland. They will now host the state tournament this weekend. The opening game of the best-of-three series was at South Main Street Field on July 8, where Cole Systo hit a pair of three-run home runs in an 11-1 rout of Rutland in four innings. After shortstop Gavin Carpenter turned an unassisted double play in the Rutland first, Brattleboro wasted no...
Four bands with local connections to perform in Brattleboro
BRATTLEBORO-Four bands led by women will be performing at Marigold, 157 Main St. on Sunday, July 20 starting at 7:30 p.m. Members of the bands have Brattleboro roots. From New Orleans, Keaton Schiller and Lyla George will each be playing indie rock sets with their bands. Schiller, a New Orleans-based singer-songwriter, sings gritty melodies with strikingly intimate lyrics. George has developed her craft as a singer, writer and guitarist blending the hectic sounds of the metropolitan New York streets with...
The illusion of benevolence
Jim Freedman is a leadership consultant and the author of Becoming a Leader: Identity, Influence, and the Power of Reflection. BRATTLEBORO-In Washington, D.C., politicians often put on a show to make themselves look good. A perfect example is when Congress passes, and the president signs into law, tax cuts that mostly help the wealthy but delays cuts to Medicare and Medicaid until after the 2026 elections. This strategy tricks the public into thinking lawmakers care about everyone when they really...
Lean, but stable
TOWNSHEND-The smallest hospital in Vermont is not going anywhere. One provision of The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R.1), which President Donald J. Trump signed into law on July 4, constrains state Medicaid financing and eligibility. Experts warn that cuts to the Medicaid program threaten the financial stability of rural hospitals across the country. Becker's Hospital Review, a media source for health care decision-makers, estimates that 760 hospitals nationally will be at risk of closure. According to the Congressional Budget...
No real solutions in sight
Fric Spruyt represents District 9 in Brattleboro's Representative Town Meeting. BRATTLEBORO-At the July 8 Brattleboro Selectboard meeting, two agenda items inspired lively discussion. One was the Charter Revision Committee's apparent willingness to abandon Representative Town Meeting and a related separate citizen initiative to put our town budget to Australian ballot. The other had to do with the inevitable use of the abandoned Hinsdale bridges and island by the homeless. In both cases, there were a variety of heartfelt concerns, some...
Legislative session delivered real benefits
Lachlan Francis chairs the Windham County Democratic Committee. WESTMINSTER-Democrats in the state Legislature scored some significant wins for Vermonters this year - despite a political and budget climate turned upside down by Donald Trump's return to the White House. And unlike what we see all too often in Washington, nearly all of it was accomplished in a bipartisan manner, with common sense winning out over bitter party politics. With rising costs for working families top of mind, the Legislature delivered...
Creating reality through camaraderie
BRATTLEBORO-In a sunny second-floor studio, actor, director, filmmaker, writer, producer, and musician Robert "Bob" Marcus offers weekly acting workshops - free and open to all, from curious newcomers to seasoned pros. In this ongoing series Marcus launched in December, the focus is on developing, workshopping, and showcasing works-in-progress through community feedback and small live performances as participants "build confidence, skill, experience, and expertise," says Marcus on his website. Marcus, a native of New York City, has "officially" been in the...
The river connects!
Charles F. Monette is a poet, teacher, playwright, actor, builder, and U.S. Army veteran. BRATTLEBORO-Recently, I was saddened, heartbroken actually, to learn that the existing bridges between Hinsdale and Brattleboro might be gated or otherwise closed to pedestrian and bicycle traffic. I began researching past plans that would be implemented for repurposing the Charles Dana and Anna Hunt Marsh bridges after the new bridge was completed downriver. I gazed at my notes. A sudden dawning surprised me when I looked...
Bellows Falls hydro plant could get an upgrade
BELLOWS FALLS-National Grid and Great River Hydro (GRH) is making plans to upgrade the Vilas Bridge power substation in Bellows Falls, a project that is scheduled to be completed by the winter of 2030. GRH, based in Westboro, Massachusetts, generates electricity in 13 hydropower plants it owns in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont, including the one in Bellows Falls. GRH also owns about 30,000 acres of land surrounding those dams and plants. Distributing the energy from the Bellows Falls substation...
Creating, exploring, and finding place and peace
NEWFANE-Even in troubled times, a fine artist and craftsperson will keep creating, exploring avenues of expression, and finding place and peace on the canvas or the potter's wheel. So it is with the 11-member Rock River Artists (RRA), as the public can witness at the collective's 33rd annual Open Studio Tour this Saturday and Sunday, July 19 and 20, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. A tour that has earned its following well beyond southern Vermont, the annual...